Loser! Jerk! Insults Fly on Republican Campaign Trail

2/13/2016 - Associate Professor of Sociology Robert Faris in The New York Times.

For months Republican presidential candidates traded insults such as "dummy," "jerk" and "loser." Then, party front-runner Donald Trump repeated a supporter’s description of Ted Cruz as a "pussy."

While many have gleefully or indifferently watched as candidates hurled barb after barb, others have condemned it.

"Bullying can be highly instrumental and used for social climbing," said Bob Faris, associate professor of sociology at University of California-Davis, who studies aggressive behavior in adolescents. "And it works," he said, "provided that kids target the right kids."